I just finished reading Crazy: Notes On and Off the Couch and can't recommend it enough. The book is available in both hardback and Kindle; I read the Kindle edition. Rob Dobrenski is a psychologist who practices in New York City and this book is his attempt to de-mystify the practice of therapy. He has a really awesome blog, Shrinktalk.net that I have been reading for some time so I was very excited to get the book.

The first reason I found it so enjoyable is that Dr.Dobrenski shares a view that my own T does and with which I very much agree, which is that of the wounded healer. His main premise is 'we're all crazy' including all the therapists. That they are human also, and dealing with their own struggles, but that is an integral part of why therapy works. Because we're all in this together.

He has a very engaging writing style, being able to be both uproariously funny, and deeply moving. The structure of the book takes you through a typical day in the life of a shrink but manages to cover a lot of topics. It's also a rare look through the eyes of a very candid therapist. He is quite honest about his own struggles which I found really refreshing. He also provides a fascinating look at what it's like to be on both sides of the couch through the use of clinical vignettes. I really could not put it down and found myself both laughing out loud and crying while reading it. If you are at all interested in seeing therapy from a clincian's point of view, I highly recommend this book.

AG